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Jason Smith (b. 1973)
Smitty | ntl_team = CAN | birth_date = | birth_place = Calgary, AB, CAN | draft = 18th overall | draft_year = 1992 | draft_team = New Jersey Devils | career_start = 1993 | career_end = 2009 }} Jason Matthew Smith (born November 2, 1973) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League from 1993–94 to 2008–09. Playing career Smith was drafted in the first round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. As a member of the Regina Pats, he was named to the Western Hockey League's all-rookie team in 1992 and WHL first all-star team in 1993. He won the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL's top defenseman. Smith was a member of the gold medal winning Canadian team at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 1993. He made his NHL debut with the Devils during the 1993–94 NHL season, though the majority of the season was spent in the AHL with the Albany River Rats. He missed the majority of the 1994–95 season because of a knee injury, but played in one playoff game before returning to captain the River Rats to a Calder Cup championship in 1995, in the same year that the Devils captured their first Stanley Cup. Smith then moved up to the NHL for good, playing with the Devils until 1997 when he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. On February 25, 1997, he was involved in a blockbuster trade, going to the Maple Leafs along with Steve Sullivan and the rights to Alyn McCauley in exchange for Doug Gilmour, Dave Ellett, and New Jersey's 4th round choice in 1999. Smith spent parts of three seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1999. When Oilers' team captain Doug Weight was later traded to the St. Louis Blues, Smith's strong leadership resulted in his being handed the 'C'. He would tie Wayne Gretzky as the longest serving captain in Oilers history at five seasons, wearing the 'C' from 2001 to 2007, excluding the 2004-05 NHL lockout. Smith captained the Edmonton Oilers to a largely unexpected run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, in which they faced the Carolina Hurricanes, another dark horse team. However, the Oilers lost in the final game of a grueling seven game series to the Hurricanes. Smith contributed 1 goal and 4 assists during Edmonton's surprise playoff run. On July 1, 2007, Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe traded Smith, along with forward Joffrey Lupul, to the Philadelphia Flyers for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson, and Philadelphia's 3rd round choice in 2009. In his first and only season in Philadelphia, Smith captained a rebuilt Flyers squad to an Eastern Conference showdown against their inter-state rivals from Pittsburgh. Despite the fact that the Penguins won the series, the Flyers' turnaround from the worst team in the league to their status in 2007–08 was a credit to Smith's leadership abilities. Career statistics Transactions * February 25, 1997 - Traded by New Jersey, along with Steve Sullivan and the rights to Alyn McCauley, to Toronto for Dave Ellett, Doug Gilmour and a third-round draft pick * March 3, 1999 - Traded by Toronto to Edmonton for a fourth-round pick in the 1999 NHL entry draft and a second-round selection in the 2000 NHL entry draft * July 1, 2007 - Traded by Edmonton, along with Joffrey Lupul, to Philadelphia for Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and a third-round pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft * July 8, 2008 - Signed as free agent by Ottawa Senators * September 2, 2009 - Retired from the NHL. References External links * Category:Born in 1973 Category:Albany River Rats players Category:Calder Cup champions Category:Calgary Canucks alumni Category:Canadian ice hockey players Category:Edmonton Oilers players Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks Category:New Jersey Devils draft picks Category:New Jersey Devils players Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:Philadelphia Flyers players Category:Regina Pats alumni Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:Utica Devils players Category:Retired in 2009